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How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

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Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#151

Post by KozmoNau7 »

grkvlt wrote: post #144
KozmoNau7 wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just be a bit polite and mindful of the person behind you. They may have something on their table. It doesn't hurt to just ask if you're going to hit anything. And believe it or not, some people actually have long legs, and physically cannot fit if you recline your seat. Should they optimally have gotten a seat with more leg room? Sure! But that isn't always possible.

But the tables are designed to stay flat, even when the seat is reclined - often by being physically disconnected from the reclining part, or via a system of linkages. I'm six feet tall and haven't ever had a problem when I've had to fly economy, but maybe I'm not tall enough to notice though?

Yes, the table stays flat. However the room above it is reduced. The seat can easily crush a laptop screen.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#152

Post by dmurray »

mannykannot wrote: post #101
vertex-four wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interestingly, Ryanair claim that they do not overbook their flights, and claim to be the only airline in Europe which don't. See section 9 here: https://corporate.ryanair.com/about-us/passenger-charter/

Yes - this seems to support that claim: https://conversation.which.co.uk/travel-leisure/flight-airli... This also mentions that EasyJet claims to limit its overbooking to about 1%. You are probably aware that overbooking has become a problem in the US - I don't know whether European airlines are allowed to do it to the same extent.

Overbooking doesn't seem to be a problem in Europe. In hundreds of flights I've never missed one because of overbooking and I don't know of anyone else missing one either. In the same time I've had 3-4 flights cancelled or rescheduled due to weather or mechanical issues.

The queues or electronic waiting lists for standby seats (people at the gate who aren't yet confirmed on this flight) are something I notice when travelling in the US that I don't really see in Europe.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#153

Post by isostatic »

vertex-four wrote: post #148
isostatic wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, putting effort into finding a cheaper method is another option. It's the same with shopping for anything - you could go to 4 different shops and compare them, or you could just take the easy option. You can buy from John Lewis and get a 5 year no quibble guarentee, or you could save 10% and buy online, but have a hassle if it breaks. Choice is a right pain, but it allows you to choose what's important Edinburgh…

> What is a fair price? Given the large amount of people you can place in a large vehicle, one would hope that a private car is significantly more expensive than public transport without having to convince anyone to pay for bizarre things like being able to pick a seat. The fact that it isn't is, in fact, utterly bizarre. In the case of the dates we have to travel for a conference, the bus is £150 pp, and flights are…

The problem is the marginal cost of transporting is very low. The train industry is there to extract the maximum amount of money from those willing to pay, while allowing those not willing to pay the chance to travel.

A walk up simple London to Manchester ticket is £86 return, unless you're travelling before 9:30am. Those willing to buy from https://trainsplit.com/ can get a return for £47, or buy the tickets manually and it drops to £39. That's just like those who know going to Aldi will be cheaper than shopping at harrods.

That "slow train" which costs £20 each way, in the peak, and is still quicker than a car.

The money made from open tickets is pumped back into the rail industry to subsidise rural branches in Cornwall. It also subsdises the frequency, where trains are running with say 20 people per carriage (with 80 seats), but are running every 20 minutes. Some people are willing to pay a lot for that frequency - hence the reason they sell £500 returns.

I would like to see thetrainline shut down, but they advertise their inferior product heavily and people use it.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#154

Post by icebraining »

crtasm wrote: post #150
icebraining wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plus you can take food with you if you need, and drinks from the airport past security, though those aren't necessarily cheaper.

Take an empty bottle and get free water at some UK airports. I've not confirmed this personally yet https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/travel-tips#water

I did this in Hamburg (technically I bought a bottle, but I drank it before boarding, so I refilled it before flight). But in my limited experience, these fountains are not common in EU airports.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#155

Post by gambiting »

magduf wrote: post #146
YouKnowBetter wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a train fan, used to do it all the time with the family though Europe. Now I can not afford it anymore and flying is always cheaper. Not much faster with the obstacles, nor more confinient, but simply more economic. How on earth that is possible remains one of the best kept secrets (to me). But I am sure there is a boat load of tax money involved.

AFAICT, it mostly comes down to poor government regulation and wastefulness and monopolism. Trains get guaranteed right-of-way and don't have to compete with each other for the same routes, but airplanes do. Airplanes surely use orders of magnitude more energy/fuel per passenger to move people between two points, but incredibly they still cost less. America is probably the poster child for how bad this can be, by loo…

Even in Europe it can be difficult to do cross-country, even though the connections are excellent, fast, and on time. The problem is cost - I can travel within one country for reasonably little money, and 99% of the time beating flying on cost. But taking a train from Paris to Berlin or Berlin to Warsaw? Suddenly we're looking at hundreds of euros, in which case it's almost always cheaper to fly. I don't really understand why.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#156

Post by mosselman »

gberger wrote: post #74
fwdpropaganda wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. Withwhich I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Complete BS. Cost of expensive meals and cost for suitcases aren't "random costs". They are entirely predictab…

I think he means arbitrary and unconventional, not random.

Yes, thank you.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#157

Post by mosselman »

fwdpropaganda wrote: post #43
mosselman wrote: post #31

Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. With which I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Leg space and general facilities are crappy and their handling of cancelled flights, etc is very poor. Whenever…

> Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. Withwhich I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Complete BS. Cost of expensive meals and cost for suitcases aren't "random costs". They are entirely predictab…

'Random' might not have been the word, more 'arbitrary'.

One of those arbitrary costs of budget airlines is paying €50 for having your ticket printed at the airport (Lufthansa). Sometimes you just don't have a printer or the possibility to check in beforehand. Sure, I could 'plan ahead' and buy a cheap printer along the way to the airport and do it myself right then and there and it would be cheaper. I'd then throw away the printer or give it to someone else. How is $60 a reasonable price for airport check-in?

Many airlines still offer 'free' food in the plane, some don't and charge large amounts of money for very crappy food. Sure, I could 'plan ahead' and bring a large bag of food for me and my family, but then I have less room for other things and I get closer and closer to the weight limits that keep getting lower and lower. I can't even bring water from outside the airport past security. Some airlines offer complementary (due to higher ticket prices) drinks, but others ask for €4 for a 0.25ml drink. Planning ahead would mean I end up paying slightly less at the shops at the gate.

I understand the model that budget airlines use to make money; basic ticket prices and paying for upgrades. I am saying that I'd rather pay more for the tickets and then not be charged for everything along the way. It is much more transparent that way and I don't end up packing a picknick or chasing after hotel owners to print tickets, etc.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#158

Post by fwdpropaganda »

mosselman wrote: post #157
fwdpropaganda wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. Withwhich I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Complete BS. Cost of expensive meals and cost for suitcases aren't "random costs". They are entirely predictab…

'Random' might not have been the word, more 'arbitrary'. One of those arbitrary costs of budget airlines is paying €50 for having your ticket printed at the airport (Lufthansa). Sometimes you just don't have a printer or the possibility to check in beforehand. Sure, I could 'plan ahead' and buy a cheap printer along the way to the airport and do it myself right then and there and it would be cheaper. I'd then throw a…

> One of those arbitrary costs of budget airlines is paying €50 for having your ticket printed at the airport (Lufthansa).

I have good news for you then. Ryanair no longer demands that you print the ticket. You can do everything from their app.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#159

Post by nathcun »

mosselman wrote: post #157
fwdpropaganda wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. Withwhich I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Complete BS. Cost of expensive meals and cost for suitcases aren't "random costs". They are entirely predictab…

'Random' might not have been the word, more 'arbitrary'. One of those arbitrary costs of budget airlines is paying €50 for having your ticket printed at the airport (Lufthansa). Sometimes you just don't have a printer or the possibility to check in beforehand. Sure, I could 'plan ahead' and buy a cheap printer along the way to the airport and do it myself right then and there and it would be cheaper. I'd then throw a…

> One of those arbitrary costs of budget airlines is paying €50 for having your ticket printed at the airport (Lufthansa). Sometimes you just don't have a printer or the possibility to check in beforehand. Sure, I could 'plan ahead' and buy a cheap printer along the way to the airport and do it myself right then and there and it would be cheaper. I'd then throw away the printer or give it to someone else. How is $60 a reasonable price for airport check-in?

Ryanair allow you to use your phone, you don't need it printed up. You only have to pay if you want to check in at the airport. If everyone checked in online then Ryanair wouldn't need to have any staff at the check-in desk in the airport, if you don't check in in advance then you need to subsidise the costs of paying those staff members. If check in at the airport is free what that really means is that everyone else is subsidising you checking in early.

> Many airlines still offer 'free' food in the plane, some don't and charge large amounts of money for very crappy food.

Again, this amounts to everyone else subsidising your food. The airlines have to pay for it somehow, either they charge you or they increase the ticket prices. I hate airline food, and if I can avoid paying for it at all then great. Most Ryanair flights are > I can't even bring water from outside the airport past security. Some airlines offer complementary (due to higher ticket prices) drinks, but others ask for €4 for a 0.25ml drink. Planning ahead would mean I end up paying slightly less at the shops at the gate.

The water thing is universal. You can empty your bottle out and many airports have free fountains beyond security to refill.

> I am saying that I'd rather pay more for the tickets and then not be charged for everything along the way. It is much more transparent that way and I don't end up packing a picknick or chasing after hotel owners to print tickets, etc.

Why though? You're saying you'd rather not have the choice to pay for these things. You'd rather get a flight with higher costs just in case you feel like eating on the flight or having a bottle of water. Not only that, but you want everyone else on the flight who doesn't want those things to chip in and pay for your convenience.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#160

Post by antihero »

dnh44 wrote: post #32
antihero wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fly to Europe regularly with Ryanair, it's been amazing in the amount of places I've been able to go with very little money. Most Europe flights are 1-3 hours. Just get pissed enough at the Stanstead Wetherspoons that you don't give a fuck! Another tip: If they put a yellow tag on your bag to make you check it in the hold, either quickly rip it off between the gate and the plane, or hold your bag so they don't see…

I didn't realise that Ryanair fly outside of Europe but I can see now that they do have a few locations such as Morocco and Israel. But do you actually mean Ryanair or do you mean Air Europa, whom Ryanair seems to be a reseller for (transatlantic flights)?

Ah, I'm in UK but we still consider it "to Europe" as we're not on the main continent bit
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